Rubjerg Knude Fyr

Rubjerg Knude Fyr

Rubjerg Knude Fyr is one of North Jutland's landmarks and is a popular destination for both locals and tourists. If you are traveling to North Jutland, do not miss this opportunity to experience the historic lighthouse, who expected to crash into the ocean by 2020.

Watch our video where we fly past the lighthouse with drone and also enjoy the many nice Instagram pictures.

You can also read about the story of the lighthouse and the human battle against loosing the lighthouse, over the years.

Rubjerg Knude Fyr and the fight against the sand

In the year 1893-1927, 71 lighthouses were erected in Denmark, which should function as pointers for ships in the Danish waters. Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse is located between Hirtshals Lighthouse and Hanstholm Lighthouse and was erected in 1899. The lighthouse was lit for the first time on the 27th of December 1900 and could be seen 42 km away.

At the time, the small dune could easily be removed, but between the year 1910 and 1920 a large amount of sand blew up between the ocean and the lighthouse that plants had to be planted to fight back the blowing sand. However, the dune only grew larger when the sand landed onto the plants, and in the 50's the plants and large amounts of sand had to be removed, since it now came to close to the buildings.

Eventually the dunes were so high that they blocked the light from the lighthouse, and when new navigational technologies made the lighthouses redundant, the lighthouse cast its last light on the 1st of August 1968.

From lighthouse to history

In the 70's the lighthouse stood empty, yet the plans to transform the buildings at Rubjerg Knude to a museum was realized, and in 1980 Vendsyssel Historical Museum opened its doors to the new museum, which told the story about the lighthouse, Rubjerg Knude and man's battle against the forces of nature. Ironically, the museum also lost the fight against the rising sand, and in 1992 nature won yet again, when the dunes started to consume the buildings. The museum closed in 2002.

Later on Vendsyssel Historical Museum have set the frames for the story of Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse. At Strandfogedgården, which lies just a few kilometres from the old lighthouse, they have made an exciting experience universe, which unites nature and cultural history with interactive media, where you as a visitor can be an active part of the history of Rubjerg Knude. Take for example a time machine back to the time where the waves of the ice sea crushed against the coast, or where the vikings sailed out on dangerous expeditions.

As a part of the exhibition, there are both indoors and outdoors activities in the area around Rubjerg Knude, where the beatiful nature and the exciting history is told with new media. The result is a new kind of museum experience, which gives an insight into local conditions, which has been affected by rough nature conditions over time.

For Vendsyssel Historical Museum it has been an important target to reach the visitors of every age group with the message that Rubjerg Knude has much more to offer than just the old lighthouse and a extraordinary view over the ocean.

Once the church Mårup Kirke also stood a bit further up the coast, but here mankind was again forced to give in, so the church was removed before it crashed into the ocean. This battle gives us a unique understanding of our own history and the mighty forces of nature.

Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse is expected to crash into the ocean before the year 2020.